Post-office lock-box



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Aug. 12, 1884.

INVENTOR 7ViZZia-m HBram/(z (No Model.)

W. H. 'BRA-MBLE.

POST OFFICE LOOK BOX.

ITNESSES (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. H. BRAMBLE. POST OFFIUE LOOK BOX.

No. 303,555. Patented Aug; 12, 1884.

WITNESSES INVENTOR William .HBram Ze.

By his Attorneys N PETERS. Pmwum m. Washington D. (L

3 SheetsSheet 3.

(No Model.)

W. H. BRAMBLE.

POST OFFICE LOCK BOX.

Patented Aug. 12, 1884. 'y- 1 1' cHUYLE MSR TTL INVENTOR WllzkzmEfiramle N, Pmns. mmum n nm wminmm n. c.

'rarns Nrrn LAT NT Price.

WVILLIAM H. BRAMBLE, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE & TOIVNEMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

POST-OFFICE LOCK-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,555, dated August12, 1884.

I Application filed February 8, 1884. (No model.)

J all whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BRAMRLE, of Decatur, in the county ofMacon and State of Illinois, have invented certain useful Improvementsin Post-Office Lock-Boxes, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

An important object of my invention. is to provide post-officelock-boxes made ofsepa rate pieces and adapted tobe shipped in packagesof these separate pieces to their destination and there set up in placeor nested in suitable wooden supporting frame-work prepared to receivethem. I also provide for I 5 the better lighting, andconsequently forthe better viewing, of the interiors of post-office boxes. This Iaccomplish in two ways: first, by making the tops and bottoms of theboxes of removable glass,and, second, by placing the door-locks inrecesses in the side walls of the box,instead of on the doors, as is nowcommonly done, whereby nearly the entire area of the doors may beglazed, and thus a perfect view into the interiors of the boxes beafforded.

2 5 In connection with these main objects of my invention I have madeseveral improvements, whichappear by description in detail further on,and which are summed up in my appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 isafront elevation, partly in section, of a nest of four post-officelock-boxes, No. 46 showing the metallic front with the door closed, No.47 showing the door 5 partly open, No. 48 showing a vertical sectionnear the rear end of the box, and No. 49 showing a vertical section nearthe front end through the lock mechanism, on the lines 1 1 of Figs. 2and 3. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the 0 line 2 2 of Figs. 1, 3,and 4. Fig. 3 is avertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa vertical section on the line4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a rear view ofthe lock-box. Fig. 6 is a vertical central section through the look 5mechanism, and Fig. 7 represents the lock-key.

The sides of 'my improved boxes I prefer to form of two thin sheets ofmetal, A, separated at the top and bottom by wooden strips B, the sheetsbeing secured to these strips by means of brads 0.. This enables me toemploy a flat look between the sheets, entirely inclosed and out of theway.

The tops and bottoms of my boxes I form of glass plates D, so that theywill be better lighted, and so that the contents of an upper or lowerbox out of the ordinary direct range of vision may be seen.

The rear ends ofmy boxes are, as usual, open, and the fronts E are ofmetal with metallic glazed doors F.

In order to provide a convenient means for securing the glass tops andbottoms in place,

I employ angle bars or folded sheets of metal G above and below atthefront end of each box. These holders for the glass may be secured to theside partitions of the box in any convenient manner; but I prefer themethod shown in the drawings, where it will be 0l)-' served by referenceto Fig. 3 a groove is formed near the upper and lower edges of the sidepartitions, and one lip of the holder is slipped into it. The metallicfrontpiece, x, being secured in place by means of the lugs H and screwsor rivets I, serves to secure the holders firmly in position. At therearend of the boxes I provide angle-bars or holderplates K, upon whichthe glasses rest, as well shown in Fig. 4. The lower horizontal portionsof these angle -bars are slipped into grooves near the edges of the sidepartitions, as shown in Fig. 3, and so securely held; but they may befastened in place in any suitable way. The lips of the front holders aremade so as to bite the glass when it is inserted between them by aspring action, and hold it securely; therefore it will be veryconvenient to insert and maintain the glass in place. The rear glassholders are provided with longitudinal slots, as illustrated in Figs. 4and 5, be hind which a name card or plate may be inserted and held, asshown in these figures.

From this description of my improved box it will be observed that it ismade up of detachable parts adapted to fit together like differentprepared parts of a frame work, and it may thus be manufactured inseparate pieces which may be conveniently packed and transported indifferent packages to the place of use, and there the different packagescontaining the different parts can be unpacked and 100 the partsselected and put together in place very conveniently without the use oftools, and when they are in place it is manifest that the box, as awhole, isa very greatly improved one.

I have illustrated a peculiar locking mechanism, which I apply forfastening the doors of my boxes, and which is adapted to be containedaltogether within one of the side partitions of each box between thesheet-metal plates; but I do not describe it in detail, because I havereserved it for protection in another patent of the United States. Iwould say, however, that a rod extends back through the hollow partitionto the rear of the box, by which the lock may be operated in the mannerset forth in my United States Patent No. 175,817, of April 11, 1876.

I do not intend to confine myself to the details of construction hereillustrated, either in forming my partitions or in the construction ofmeans for holding the glass tops and bottoms of my boxes, because manyvariations in details may be made without departing from the substanceand scope of my invention.

I am aware that post-office boxes have heretofore been made so that eachboxis complete in itself and can be joined to others, so as to form anest or series. This method, however, does not give any markedadvantages so far as shipment goes, because no space is saved I am alsoaware that it is old to construct pi goon-holes with removable innerpartitions. By my method, however, I am able to pack a nest of boxes ina fraction of a space which they will occupy when set up, and am enabledto readily arrange them in practice for use without employing tools,which cannot be done with any other pi geon-holes or postoffice boxeswith which I am acquainted. I thus save materially in transportationcharges and diminish the liability to damage in transit, and diminishthe diflicnlty of setting up the boxes in nests or series for use.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a post-offiee box, the combination of the side partitions, the topand bottom partitions removably connected therewith, and the doorframeremovably connected with the partitions, substantially as described.

2. A post-office lock-box constructed with detachable metal sidepartitions and detachable glass top and bottom partitions, so that thebox may be taken apart for shipment, and erected in place without theuse of tools, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a post-ofiice box, of the front glass-holders,G, adapted to clamp and securely hold'the glass, substantially as setforth.

4. In combination with a post-ofiice box, the front and rearglass-holders, G and H, substantially as set forth.

5. In a post-office box, the combination of the thin sheets A and thestrips B, secured together and forming a hollow post-oflice-boxpartition, and the locking mechanism contained within the hollowpartition, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 1st day ofFebruary, A. D. 1884.

WILLIAM H. BRAMBLE. Witnesses:

Rona. P. HERVEY, J OI-[N H. BERRY.

